Skip navigation

Thrush Nightingale

Luscinia luscinia

The thrush nightingale is rarely seen. Photo Jan Nyman.

General information. The thrush nightingale is a passerine with an inconspicuous plumage; a grayish brown back with lighter shades on its belly. It conceals itself skillfully in the terrain and can be extremely difficult to spot. It is active at dusk and at night. The nightingale is most easily spotted at night in May to June, when its powerful song can be heard from lush waterfront coppices.

  • Length 17 cm
  • Nests on the ground
  • Migrates to West Africa for the winter
  • Feeds on insects, worms and berries

Habitat. Lush willow thickets by sea bays, herb rich forests and other damp, mixed-type forests provide suitable habitat conditions for the thrush nightingale.

Distribution in Vaasa. The thrush nightingale nests sparsely in Vaasa. During the survey, observations were made in a total of about 35 survey blocks, a majority of which were in the southern parts of Vaasa.